With Wichita State in Final Four, nation learns more about Pine Bush grad Early

Saturday

Apr 6, 2013 at 2:00 AM

They were only pickup games, but they were still heated, with elbows and harsh words often flying. Back then, Cleanthony Early and Marvin Jean were teammates at Mount Zion Christian Academy, a prep school in Durham, N.C. They were also rivals.

JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ

They were only pickup games, but they were still heated, with elbows and harsh words often flying. Back then, Cleanthony Early and Marvin Jean were teammates at Mount Zion Christian Academy, a prep school in Durham, N.C. They were also rivals.

Fresh out of Section 9, Early from Pine Bush and Jean from Monroe-Woodbury, they were looking to make names for themselves when they arrived smack in the middle of Tobacco Road in the fall of 2009.

Most days, they could get along with each other. Then there were the moments they loathed each other. Early and Jean took out their pent-up emotions during one-on-one games at Mount Zion.

"There was a lot of pushing and shoving," Jean said. "We definitely went at it, we bumped heads, on and off the court. Clea was a real hothead. I didn't always like his personality. But he always went hard and he wanted to win. I respected that."

Jean and Early went on to be teammates for two seasons at SUNY Sullivan. After Sullivan, they went their separate ways. Jean played for Division I Utah State this season.

As for Early?

Of course, his story keeps getting bigger and better — almost surreal.

Early, lighting it up for Sullivan only a year ago, will play for Wichita State against Louisville and Rick Pitino in the semifinals of the famed Final Four on Saturday in Atlanta.

"It's crazy, mind-blowing," Jean said.

Added Sullivan coach Kevin DeVantier, who will be at the Georgia Dome on Saturday: "It's, obviously, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To watch him live against Louisville, no less, to see how far he's come. It is surreal."

Early has made the transition from Sullivan to March Madness star look easier than a layup. However, perhaps, even more impressive is the person Early has evolved into. Of course, he still has an ego, he has to.

That's just part of Early's fearless, seemingly made-for-bright lights-game. He's also humble, grounded, appreciative of his rise to status of Wichita State hero. His peers, players and friends, such as Jean, have noticed.

"Brothers fight," Jean said. "Even after all the fights, we continued to be brothers. But Clea actually changed the way I look at things. He always goes so hard and it made me think 'Why can't I?' Clea just busts his butt and works so hard. You want to do what he does and it's great to see all grown up and in the Final Four."

Early grew up in the Bronx, developing his game on different playgrounds, before moving to Orange County. He admits he came upstate with an edge — no excuses — the city sometimes does that to kids. Early played basketball for Pine Bush, but his combative ways led to him being cut from the varsity team as a junior.

He made his way back to the team as a senior, flashing his potential with a 49-point game against Newburgh Free Academy. However, Early didn't have the grades (1.9 grade-point average, just shy of the 2.0 required by the NCAA) to play the big-time college basketball he craved. So he enrolled at Mount Zion, where Division I coaches began to take notice.

At Mount Zion, where Early averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds, he was reintroduced to religion. He found and cherished God. He mellowed.

Today, Early's faith is still a big part of his life. On Twitter, he writes "Thank God for today" every day to his 6,000 followers on the social-media site.

"I think I was always a little misunderstood, but I always felt I had the talent," Early said. "I just had to get my mind right. I had to focus on myself and become a smarter person, a better human being. My faith in God opened my eyes and I've built off that. Honestly, I think that is what has helped me make friends, and open so many doors."

Early's faith was tested in June of 2010 — only months before he arrived at Sullivan — where he was named national Division III junior college player of the year twice. His brother, Jamel Glover, drowned upstate during an outing with friends. He was only 32 and left behind two children, one on the way, in addition to Early.

Glover introduced Early to basketball back in the Bronx and always looked out for him. For Early, Glover was a mentor and, right then, he could have slipped off course. Instead, Early came on harder, full speed ahead.

"I leaned on my faith during that time. I solely give credit to my faith," Early said. "I had no choice, I wasn't in a position to be crying. Everyone else in my family was weak at that point and I couldn't fall victim. People needed me and I had to at least try, whether I made it or not."

Indeed, Early has arrived. Did you see him on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week? "Shock the World" is the headline and Early along with Wichita State teammates Demetric Williams, Chadrack Lufile and Carl Hall are pictured on the cover, celebrating a win over Ohio State in the Elite Eight. The cover is one of three regional covers for Sports Illustrated this week. Injured Louisville player Kevin Ware is featured on the other NCAA-related cover. Golfer Tiger Woods is the third cover subject.

Through it all, whether meeting with Reggie Miller before a practice last week or signing autographs en masse on campus, Early has remained level-headed. When talking to him, he's calm and introspective. He often quotes the scriptures. His influences are eclectic — covering God, Gandhi, Socrates and Tupac. Early is well-read.

He also still plays with confidence and passion. He competes with an edge.

It all helped bring Early to his latest big moment: The Final Four.

And you can bet that Early's big personality and even bigger game — fearless, frenetic and at times electric — will have an impact in Atlanta this weekend.